Children: Protection

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the report by Action for Children, Keeping children safe: The case for reforming the law on child neglect; and if he will make a statement outlining the Government's response to that report;
	(2)  if he will consider reviewing Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 for the purposes of assessing the effectiveness of the Act for tackling and preventing child neglect.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has noted the content of the report. The Government is already addressing many of the concerns raised. We continue to shift the focus onto earlier intervention, recognising that the earlier that help is given to vulnerable children and families, the more chance there is of turning lives around and protecting children from harm. Early intervention is key to addressing problems in their early stages to prevent them escalating and so to protect vulnerable children from neglect and cruelty.
	The Government is undertaking a number of reforms to strengthen social work practice. This includes improving the social work degree and developing further the skills of existing social workers in critical areas such as child protection. We have advertised for and intend to appoint a Chief Social Worker, who will work with the new College of Social Work and the newly designated Principal Child and Family Social Workers in local authorities to drive improvement and raise standards. On 12 June the Department for Education published its revised training resources and guidance 'Childhood neglect: Improving outcomes for children The framework' and ‘Childhood neglect: Improving outcomes for children—Guidance for trainers’ to assist practitioners from all key disciplines to develop the knowledge, skills and values required to work effectively as part of a network of support and protection.
	The offence of child cruelty under section 1 of the 1933 Act covers a wide range of behaviour and while some of the language in the 1933 Act may now be considered old fashioned the courts interpret the elements of the offence in the light of contemporary understandings.
	The Ministry of Justice has not been made aware of any difficulties experienced by prosecutors in using section 1 of the 1933 Act, nor of any indication that they think it needs to be amended.
	The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 is part of a comprehensive legislative framework for protecting children and keeping them safe from harm. Other relevant legislation includes the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and the Education Act 1996. Given the provisions of the legislative framework as a whole, there are no plans at present to amend the 1933 Act.

Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what categories of data will be shared between the UK and other EU member states as a result of the Government's decision not to opt out of the Proposal on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences (COM 2012 10).

Kenneth Clarke: Article 3 of the proposed directive sets out the categories of data that fall within the definition of data subject. Accordingly, 'data subject' can mean any person who can be identified by a data controller or by any other person by reference to one of the following characteristics: identification number, location data, online identifiers or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that person. In this context 'personal data' means any information relating to a data subject.
	Article 8 sets out provisions relating to processing of special categories of personal data. This provides that member states are prohibited from processing personal data that reveals race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion or beliefs, trade union membership, of genetic data or of data concerning health or sex life, except where the following apply:
	the processing is authorised by a law providing appropriate safeguards; or
	the processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another person; or
	the processing relates to data which are manifestly made public by the data subject.
	The current arrangements under the 2008 Council Framework Decision on the protection of personal data processed in the framework of police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters allow for the processing of special categories of data only to the extent that the processing is strictly necessary and where the national law provides adequate safeguards.
	Therefore, the draft directive does not require the UK to share any categories of data that are not already being shared. Rather, it proposes new rules for how that sharing should happen.

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many procurement card holders in his Department were (a) paid off-payroll, (b) employed on a part-time basis and (c) employed as a non-permanent employee in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;
	(2)  on which dates his Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) I can confirm that there are no MOJ Government Procurement Card (GPC) holders who are paid off payroll.
	(b) GPC cards are issued in response to a business need in line with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) GPC policy that is published on the MOJ website. The policy does not distinguish between part-time and permanent staff therefore records are not kept. To obtain this information would be at disproportionate cost.
	(c) GPC cards are issued to non permanent staff on a fixed term contract on receipt of an approved business justification. These staff are on the MOJ payroll. Cards are not issued to agency/interim staff or consultants. Records of the number of cards issued to non-permanent staff are not kept and to obtain this information would be at disproportionate cost.
	Details of all GPC transactions of £500 and above have been published on the MOJ website in accordance with Cabinet Office instructions since September 2011. The dates on which data have been published are as follows:
	
		
			 Data covering period Date published 
			 April to June 2011 27 September 2011 
			 July 2011 31 October 2011 
			 August 2011 31 October 2011 
			 September 2011 30 November 2011 
			 October 2011 30 December 2011 
			 November 2011 31 January 2012 
			 December 2011 29 February 2012 
			 January 2012 30 March 2012 
			 February 2012 30 April 2012 
			 March 2012 14 June 2012

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the target time is for a benefits appeal tribunal to hear an appeal after appeal documents have been submitted.

Jonathan Djanogly: Before April 2011 a set of primary performance indicators was in place for each tribunal jurisdiction, based upon waiting times from receipt to disposal of an appeal. For the social security and child support (SSCS) tribunal this was based on the percentage of appeals where the final outcome was promulgated within 16-weeks of the receipt at SSCS.
	A commitment was made in Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Business Plan for 2011-15 to publish wider information about the operation of courts and tribunals to assist users to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of these public services.
	Therefore, from April 2011, HMCTS no longer uses the primary performance indicators as targets, although information on the percentage of appeals where the final outcome was promulgated within 16-weeks is still published in the quarterly statistics report for the tribunals:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/tribunals/quarterly
	and is used for internal planning.
	From April 2011 a measure has been published which examines the age of a case when it is cleared or disposed of and gives the point at which 25%, 50% (the median) and 75% were, cleared. This can also be found in the quarterly statistics report for the tribunals.

Victim Support Schemes

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he plans to ensure a minimum quality standard across the UK when victims' services are locally commissioned.

Crispin Blunt: The consultation, 'Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses' closed on 22 April. We are currently considering the responses received, which included comments on minimum standards for victims' services, and the Government response to the consultation will be published soon.

Young Offenders: Bolton

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile offenders from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution in each month since May 2005.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of young people attached to the Bolton Youth Offending Team (YOT) who have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) under 18 young offender institution in each month since May 2005 to April 2012.
	This data has been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB holds data at the YOT area level, not at the local authority level. YOT area data may cover more than one local authority area.
	This is based upon monthly population snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is held more than one month in custody will be shown in more than one month in the following table.
	The data from April 2011 onwards are provisional and will be finalised when the 2011-12 Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.
	
		
			 Table 1: Young people (aged 10-17) in custody attached to the Bolton Youth Offending Team (YOT) by establishment type in each month since May 2005 
			  Secure Children’s Homes Secure Training Centres Young Offender Institutions 
			 May 2005 3 2 26 
			 June 2005 3 1 25 
			 July 2005 1 0 31 
			 August 2005 2 0 28 
			 September 2005 2 1 25 
			 October 2005 1 2 23 
			 November 2005 1 3 26 
			 December 2005 2 2 19 
		
	
	
		
			 January 2006 0 1 22 
			 February 2006 0 0 27 
			 March 2006 0 1 28 
			 April 2006 1 1 23 
			 May 2006 1 2 18 
			 June 2006 1 1 17 
			 July 2006 0 1 18 
			 August 2006 1 1 17 
			 September 2006 1 2 14 
			 October 2006 3 1 13 
			 November 2006 3 1 11 
			 December 2006 3 2 12 
			 January 2007 4 3 16 
			 February 2007 2 3 15 
			 March 2007 3 3 14 
			 April 2007 3 4 21 
			 May 2007 5 4 20 
			 June 2007 5 4 17 
			 July 2007 4 3 21 
			 August 2007 4 3 20 
			 September 2007 2 2 18 
			 October 2007 2 2 13 
			 November 2007 2 1 15 
			 December 2007 2 1 14 
			 January 2008 1 1 13 
			 February 2008 1 1 18 
			 March 2008 3 0 21 
			 April 2008 2 0 24 
			 May 2008 3 0 18 
			 June 2008 2 1 17 
			 July 2008 2 1 20 
			 August 2008 1 0 18 
			 September 2008 1 0 20 
			 October 2008 1 0 19 
			 November 2008 1 0 16 
			 December 2008 1 1 15 
			 January 2009 1 0 14 
			 February 2009 1 0 11 
			 March 2009 1 1 11 
			 April 2009 2 1 16 
			 May 2009 2 0 12 
			 June 2009 2 1 13 
			 July 2009 2 1 14 
			 August 2009 2 1 12 
			 September 2009 1 2 12 
			 October 2009 1 1 10 
			 November 2009 1 0 9 
			 December 2009 1 0 8 
			 January 2010 1 0 7 
			 February 2010 1 0 7 
			 March 2010 1 0 10 
		
	
	
		
			 April 2010 1 0 12 
			 May 2010 1 0 12 
			 June 2010 1 2 12 
			 July 2010 1 1 11 
			 August 2010 1 2 8 
			 September 2010 1 0 7 
			 October 2010 0 0 6 
			 November 2010 0 0 5 
			 December 2010 0 0 6 
			 January 2011 1 0 8 
			 February 2011 1 0 11 
			 March 2011 3 0 11 
			 April 2011 2 0 11 
			 May 2011 3 0 8 
			 June 2011 1 1 8 
			 July 2011 1 2 6 
			 August 2011 0 2 7 
			 September 2011 0 1 7 
			 October 2011 0 1 7 
			 November 2011 0 0 8 
			 December 2011 0 0 6 
			 January 2012 1 0 5 
			 February 2012 1 0 4 
			 March 2012 1 0 3 
			 April 2012 1 0 1 
			 Notes: 1. The data comes from the Youth Justice Board's Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS). 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. 3. The YJB does not hold data at local authority level. However, it does hold data down to Youth Offending Team area, some of which cover more than one local authority area. 4. The table shows the number of young people aged under 18 attached to the Bolton Youth Offending Team who have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution in each month since May 2005. 5. This is based upon monthly snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody, may be shown in more than one month in the table. 6. Please note, data from April 2011 onwards is provisional. Data from April 2011 onwards will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013 and data from April 2012 will be finalised in 2014.

Female Genital Mutilation

Guy Opperman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to tackle cases of female genital mutilation.

Lynne Featherstone: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an unacceptable form of abuse and violence against girls and women that the Government is committed to eradicating.
	In February 2011, the Home Office launched multi-agency practice guidelines for front-line professionals such as teachers, GPs and nurses. The guidelines aim to raise awareness of FGM, highlight the signs of risk that practitioners should look out for and sets out clearly the steps that should be taken to safeguard girls and women from this abuse. In October 2011 we also launched the FGM Fund, a £50,000 fund for frontline organisations who work to prevent FGM to further support their commendable work in strengthening the voice of women to speak about FGM and work to abandon the practice.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received from Freeview on the rollout of 4G, and whether any such representations will delay that rollout; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: I and my officials have received written representations and have met with representatives of all interested parties, including Freeview. Ofcom has undertaken a public consultation, which has recently closed, to seek opinions on how the Government's policy decisions regarding providing support to consumers affected by interference should be implemented.
	It is the Government's belief, on the evidence available, that it will be possible to address any interference issues without unduly constraining the roll out of new mobile services or negatively impacting the availability of the digital terrestrial television service to the vast majority of viewers.

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many government procurement cards were issued to staff employed by Essex Police Authority in each year since 2007-08;
	(2)  how many government procurement cards issued to staff employed by Essex Police Authority were reported as stolen in each of the last six years; and how much was lost as a result of any theft in each case;
	(3)  what steps Essex Police Authority (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to prevent any abuse of government procurement cards issued to its employees;
	(4)  what steps Essex Police Authority (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to reduce the theft of government procurement cards issued to its employees in the next two years.

Nick Herbert: The issue of government procurement cards (GPC) cards to employees of Essex Police Authority, the use of cards by those employees, and the measures taken or planned by the authority to reduce, prevent and detect any theft or abuse of such cards are matters for the authority to determine locally.

Green Belt

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many planning applications for developments in the Green Belt he has granted permission in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: Local authorities are responsible for deciding planning applications including those in the green belt. Information on the numbers of applications granted in the green belt is not centrally available.

Temporary Accommodation: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless households from each London borough were placed in temporary accommodation outside of their area at the end of each quarter in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 25 June 2012
	A table has been placed in the Library of the House, showing the number of homeless households from each London borough placed in temporary accommodation in another local authority district at the end of each quarter in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12.
	I would note that across this sample, based on the data returns, these figures show that average number of households housed outside their local authority area is lower under this Administration than the last.
	You will be aware that the Localism Act contains a new power that will allow local authorities to use the private rented sector to house homeless families. This will mean shorter waiting times for homeless households and less time spent in temporary accommodation.
	We are also consulting on strengthening accommodation rules, so that homeless households are placed nearer to home wherever possible. This is outlined in my Department's current consultation on the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012.
	Statistical releases on Statutory Homelessness are available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/

E-mail

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister how many emails he received to his official government email address in each month since May 2010.

David Cameron: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

World Trade Organisation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes his Department has put in place to promote the World Trade Organisation and its round-table talks.

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In the Trade and Investment White Paper (February 2011), the coalition Government made clear our commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to the multilateral trading system and to completing the Doha Round of world trade talks. The UK was a vocal supporter of concluding the Doha Round, which would have delivered a huge boost to global trade and growth and we are very disappointed that it has not been possible to conclude the negotiations. The coalition Government will continue to work with the EU to push for agreement on those elements of the Round on which there has been good progress, particularly trade facilitation (removing obstacles to the movement of goods across borders), which would deliver significant benefits to all and particularly to developing countries.
	We remain committed to the WTO, and in particular to strengthening elements of its regular business, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, set out in his report—“Governance for Growth”—to the G20 summit in Cannes in November 2011, and reiterated at the G20 summit in Los Cabos earlier this month. The WTO must remain central to the global trading system, to resist the rising trend in protectionist trade policies around the world, to settle trade disputes, and to be a forum to negotiate new trading rules. With Russia joining the WTO in the summer, the organisation will cover almost 100% of world trade, and the UK continues to press to make it easier for the poorest countries to join the WTO.
	In terms of specific programmes related to the WTO, the UK is helping the poorest countries participate more effectively at the WTO under our Trade Advocacy Fund. This programme provides legal and technical assistance to help the poorest countries in multilateral and regional trade negotiations. The UK is also a major supporter of Aid for Trade programmes, especially in Africa, which assist poor countries to reap the benefits of global trade.

Electricity: Meters

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the relative merits of an (a) area-based and (b) non area-based roll-out of smart meters.

Charles Hendry: The Government consulted on area and non-area based approaches to the roll-out of smart meters in the “Smart Metering Implementation Programme—Prospectus” (July 2010). The “Prospectus—Response” (March 2011) set out the Government's decision not to impose constraints on suppliers in relation to planning, coordination or customer prioritisation, judging that this flexibility will enable suppliers to deliver their roll-out programmes in the most efficient way, reflecting the needs and distribution of their customer base. Nevertheless, the Government recognises the value of co-ordination between suppliers and other parties including network operators and third parties such as local authorities, and is working with suppliers to establish how best to facilitate this type of co-ordination.

Electricity: Meters

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the reasons were for his decision to mandate a target for the replacement of 97 per cent. of meters with smart meters by December 2019.

Charles Hendry: Energy suppliers will be required to take all reasonable steps to roll-out smart meters to all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the end of 2019. For the purposes of economic modelling, the Government assumes that suppliers reach 97% of their customer by the end of 2019. This is neither a target, nor guidance, for suppliers. Ultimately, it will be for Ofgem to judge if a supplier has indeed taken 'all reasonable steps' to reach all their customers.

Electricity: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the National Grid's Mid Wales Connection Project, what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Wales on the need for a 400Kv cable between the National Grid and a new substation.

Charles Hendry: Neither I nor other DECC Ministers have held discussions with the First Minister of Wales on this project. It would be for National Grid to make the need case for any such connection when submitting proposals for regulatory and planning approval.

Dairy Farming

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made on the implementation of a voluntary code of practice between milk producers and processors.

James Paice: Industry representatives are currently engaged in establishing a voluntary Code of Practice for the dairy industry and I fully support these efforts.

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 500W, on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, what agreements were reached on the conservation of marine biodiversity at the meeting of the UN working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Richard Benyon: The UN working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreed to continue the dialogue on the possibility of a new implementing agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, but was unable to agree that a recommendation on the initiation of a new implementing agreement should be put to the next meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The detailed recommendations of the working group were that the next UN General Assembly should:
	(a) Welcome the “first meeting of the working group within the process initiated by the General Assembly” with a view to ensuring that the legal framework for the conservation and use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction addresses issues by identifying gaps and ways forward including through the implementation of existing instruments, and the possible development of a multilateral agreement under UNCLOS, and takes note of the exchange of views at the meeting on aspects of issues referred to in the co-chairs’ summary of discussion, some of which will be discussed during the inter-sessional workshops;
	(b) Request the Secretary-General to convene, within existing resources, two inter-sessional workshops before the sixth meeting of the working group on (i) marine genetic resources (ii) conservation and management tools, including area based management and environmental impact assessment's;
	(c) Request the working group, at its next meeting, to continue the consideration of all issues under its mandate, taking into account the discussions at its fifth meeting, as well as the input of the inter-sessional workshops, and provide recommendations to the 68th session of the General Assembly to make progress on ways forward to fulfil the mandate provided in Resolution 66/231;
	(d) Request the Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the working group in the second half of 2013; and
	(e) Request the Secretary-General to use existing trust funds, through earmarked contributions, to facilitate the participation of panellists and representatives from developing countries in the inter-sessional workshops, and invite member states, international financial institutions and others to make financial contributions to these trust funds.
	The need to address issues concerning conservation and sustainable use of marine diversity was reaffirmed at Rio+20. The outcome of this meeting clearly indicated that a decision on whether to a new Implementing Agreement should be negotiated should be taken before the end of UNGA69 in 2014. The Government will continue to press for the need for a new agreement to cover, in particular, the need for marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Children: Maintenance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many child maintenance arrears cases the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is dealing with; and in what proportion of such cases there is (a) a repayment agreement which is being adhered to, (b) an active deduction from earnings order, (c) an active regular deduction order, (d) a liability order and (e) further legal enforcement action in progress;
	(2)  in how many child maintenance arrears cases being dealt with by the Child Maintenance Agency there is (a) current active debt recovery action, (b) no active debt recovery action but case surveillance via a credit reference agency and (c) no active debt recovery action and no continuing case surveillance.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	; and
	In how many child maintenance arrears cases being dealt with by the Child Maintenance Agency there is (a) current active debt recovery action, (b) no active debt recovery action but case surveillance via a credit reference agency and (c) no active debt recovery action and no continuing case surveillance.
	As of February 2012, the total number of cases with child maintenance arrears outstanding was 1,261,900, of which 482,000 cases were either closed or cancelled/withdrawn. Of those cases which are live (i.e. not closed or cancelled/withdrawn) 201,000 cases had an arrears charging schedule in place. 108,100 of those cases with an arrears charging schedule in place were paying towards this arrears schedule.
	At February 2012 there were 141,740 cases with an active deduction from earnings order in place. There were a total of 160 regular deduction orders in place. However each regular deduction order could affect more than one case as a non-resident parent could be contributing to more than one parent with care. It is not possible to establish the number of cases without investigating further, which would involve looking at individual cases on the system.
	The total, number of liability orders in place at February 2012, was 19,500, and the total number of further legal enforcement action in progress was 26,100. Further legal enforcement actions include arrestment, attachments, bailiffs, charge for payments, charging orders, committals, freezing orders, inhibitions, orders for sale, registering liability orders in county courts, registering liability orders with Registry Trust Limited, set aside disposition orders, third party debt orders and variation orders. A non-resident parent could have more than one liability order or legal enforcement action in place against them. To establish the total number of cases with a liability order and other enforcement actions would involve looking at each individual case on the system.
	To determine the total number of cases with an active debt recovery action and the total number of cases where no active debt recovery action would require further investigation and cross referencing of data on different systems. This further analysis would be available at a disproportionate cost.
	Information about the total volume of enforcement actions undertaken by the Agency can be found on page 28 of the March 2012 Quarterly Summary of Statistics, which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/qss/QSS_mar_2012.pdf
	At the end of February 2012, 15,000 actions had been registered with credit reference agencies for surveillance on financial activity as we had exhausted cost effective options for collecting arrears on them.

Employment Schemes: Autism

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with other Government Departments on support for adults with autism to enable them to enter sustainable employment.

Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions regularly meets with the Department of Health, Department for Education, and the Ministry of Justice through its membership of the cross government Autism Programme Board chaired by the Minister for Care Services and Director General for Social Care at the Department of Health. This group is responsible for overseeing progress against the Adult Autism Strategy for England "Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives" which includes helping adults into work as a key area of activity.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that all disabled people, including adults with autism have the same employment opportunities and chances as everyone else to find and stay in work.

Employment Schemes: Fraud

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) correspondence and (b) representations his Department has received since May 2010 regarding possible fraud by private companies running welfare to work programmes for the Government in (i) the North East and (ii) England; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by DWP's professionally trained and experienced investigations to a standard required to support reference to the police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.
	When an allegation of fraud against a provider is received, we assess whether further inquiries are appropriate. Cases are accepted for investigation if allegations refer to potential fraud by a prime or sub contractor and there is evidence of a potentially serious, or criminal, matter in the allegations made.
	Between 1 May 2010 and 1 June 2012, there have been 46 investigations into allegations of potential fraud by Welfare to Work providers, five of which are on-going. The subject of the allegations in these cases is of a similar nature, that false representations have been made to claim fees, for example falsifying documentation in relation to client signatures, employers' verification or details of the service provided.
	In the course of the investigation, the investigator will gather evidence to establish the facts and determine whether there is a case to answer by:
	recovering and analysing data and documentation;
	interviewing DWP and contractor employees, including any suspects;
	approaching other DWP and contractor employees, customers and other individuals for written witness statements;
	examining available system and written records.
	Internal investigation reports set out the findings, outcomes and conclusion of an investigation undertaken in light of the allegations received.
	Where the allegations are unproven (or unfounded), no further action is taken.
	Where the investigation identifies evidence of procedural non-compliance, but not evidence of prima facie fraud, these enable the contract management team to seek appropriate remedies (e.g. repayment; control improvement, etc.).
	If sufficient evidence of criminal offences is identified, investigators will refer the matter to the police. Each investigation case is unique and must be considered on its own merits. In determining whether it is appropriate to involve the police, consideration is given to a number of factors, including the strength of evidence available, whether evidence can be attributed to the actions of an individual(s), whether and how they benefited from their actions, and any intelligence on similar previous investigations involving the contractor. Where there is evidence of an individual falsifying documentation to support false payment claims or where additional factors are evident, such as collusion, we will always refer the case to the police.
	The City of London Police is recognised as the national lead force, and a centre of excellence, for fraud investigation across the UK. They have confirmed that the criteria DWP applies in determining whether to refer cases to regional police forces are both reasonable and appropriate. They have also confirmed that the considerations made are aligned to the general principles applied by the police when deciding whether to investigate cases and allocate resources.
	In addition to referral of cases to regional police where appropriate, in line with measures taken by City of London Police to increase intelligence gathering on fraud related matters, DWP reports all cases where there are grounds to suspect criminal offences to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau database maintained by City of London Police. This enables the police to be sighted on cases being investigated in a centralised and co-ordinated way. It also enables them to build intelligence on individuals and organisations, provides an efficient protocol and interface for disclosing information on fraud at a national level and enables patterns in fraud-related crime to be identified.
	Of these 46 investigations between 1 May 2010 and 1 June 2012, 13 resulted in a case to answer, of which six had evidence of procedural non-compliance and seven had evidence of false representation. Two of these cases have been referred to the police and their investigations are ongoing.
	Internal Investigation reports contain specimen evidence and the results of analysis of provider claims that typically include customer details and other confidential information. In addition reports may contain details of any witness interviews undertaken and what they have said. The Department has a general duty of care and obligations under the Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act to safeguard individuals and to handle personal data securely. In respect of witness statements, witnesses are not ordinarily protected under the provisions of whistleblowing legislation and may be vulnerable to reprisals by their employer as well as retribution by people implicated in witness statements. In addition to the impact on individuals, full disclosure of reports would be likely to put at risk the co-operation of individuals on whom an investigation can depend. Furthermore, disclosure of both investigative practice and any vulnerabilities exploited by individuals may increase the vulnerability of the system overall.
	It is also not ordinarily appropriate to publicise the details of specific investigation cases (e.g. provider details, nature of allegation, and outcomes of investigation):
	Disclosure of unproven (or unfounded) allegations could result in litigation against the Department and damage a provider's commercial standing.
	Disclosure of specific cases where the investigation identifies evidence of procedural non-compliance, but not evidence of prima facie fraud, could impact on the willingness of providers or whistleblowers to bring matters or concerns to our attention in the first place and/or damage contractual relationships. The Department's contractual relationship with providers is built on partnership and joint working.
	Premature disclosure of cases where there is evidence of prima facie fraud may potentially prejudice or damage future DWP or police investigations. The police have been clear when conducting investigations that publishing any details of an investigation may carry a serious risk of prejudice to any further action by the police and/or the courts. The police may pursue investigations where patterns in suspected offences (e.g. highlighting links between people, organisations, location and events) become evident from such intelligence collected over time. Intelligence of this nature remains relevant and must be held for a minimum of six years in line with guidance produced by the National Policing Improvement Agency.
	The Department will, however, publicise critical cases once proceedings have begun, and publicise any subsequent sentencing.
	When asked, such as in response to parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, the Department has disclosed statistical information on investigations, including as an example, the number of investigations undertaken; the number of cases where there are suspicions of criminality; and the number of cases where payments had been claimed that were not due under the contract and the amounts were repaid.
	The Department now intends to publish said information (annually). The information in respect of contracted employment practice for 2006-07 to 2011 -12 is shown as follows.
	
		
			 Contracted employment investigation cases at 31 March 2012 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Total 
			 Accepted Cases 25 34 14 14 23 16 126 
			 On-Going Cases — — — — — 5 5 
			 Closed Cases 8 27 29 16 25 16 121 
			 No Case to Answer 6 15 16 11 18 9 75 
			 Case to Answer 2 12 13 5 7 7 46 
			 Non-Compliance 2 7 6 1 3 3 22 
			 False Representations — 5 7 4 4 4 24 
			 Referrals to Police(1) — 1 2 4 1 1 9 
			 Prosecutions — — — 1 — — 1 
			 (1) Closed cases only. Data is reflected in the year cases closed, not necessarily the year the matter was referred to the police or prosecuted. In 2011-12 two cases have been referred to the police. One case has been concluded by the Department. The .other is ongoing and is included in the ongoing case figure. 
		
	
	The Department will also disclose information on the number and value of contractor investigations where a loss was identified within its Losses and Special Payments Note in the Annual Report and Accounts.
	When asked to disclose details of specific investigation cases, the Department will use the policy set out above to assess what if any information can be released into the public domain. The expectation is that the Department will commonly decline to provide such details, and will apply recognised FOI exemptions from disclosure, where appropriate: this will principally be Section 30 (investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities), with consideration of the public interest factors for and against disclosure being made on a case by case basis.

Employment Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Sheffield Central constituency, (b) Sheffield local authority area and (c) South Yorkshire have found employment through the Work programme; and what the average length of time for this employment has been.

Chris Grayling: The data requested is not available.
	Official statistics on job outcomes are expected to be available from autumn 2012. The release strategy for statistics on job outcomes is dependant on the availability, reliability, quality and accuracy of the data and the details of what we will publish are still to be finalised. When details are finalised an announcement will be made on the Department's website.

Hearing Impairment: Telecommunications

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if the Minister for Disabled People will attend meetings of the e-Accessibility Forum sub-group on relay services;
	(2)  what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries on the ability of deaf sign-language users to access telecommunications services which are functionally equivalent to those enjoyed by hearing people;
	(3)  what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the deaf community to discuss access to telecommunications.

Maria Miller: Officials from the Department for Work and Pension's Office for Disability Issues will attend the relay services working group and keep me informed of progress, as this is not a ministerial group.
	I recently met with the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), to discuss what steps can be taken to improve the lives of disabled people, and relay services was a part of those discussions. We share a common aim of seeing more progress in this area as it has the potential to transform lives. We were therefore pleased that Ofcom plans a consultation on Video Relay Services this later this year.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport lead on this particular area, but access to telecommunications does come up frequently in discussions with Department for Work and Pensions at our new Disability Strategy meetings, which are attended by representatives from the deaf community.

Poverty: Children

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Bexley who are (i) living in poverty and (ii) living in a household where no adult works.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation and absolute low income are published in the “Households Below Average Income (HBAI)” series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	The sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates of the number of children living in poverty at constituency or local authority level. Therefore we are unable to provide data for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or for London borough of Bexley.
	Similarly, the Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the numbers of children living in workless households, both at a national and a regional level. However, no estimates are made by constituency and it is not possible to produce reliable estimates at local authority level. Therefore, again, we are unable to provide data for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or for London borough of Bexley.

Revenue and Customs

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets are set for response times for enquiries to HM Revenue and Customs by (a) letter or email and (b) telephone; and what the performance has been against those targets in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: HMRC aims to respond to correspondence from members of the public; 80% of post within 15 working days and 95% of post within 40 working days. Results for the last five financial years are:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 National 15 day target 15 day result 40 day target 40 day result 
			 2011-12 80 65.5 95 92.3 
			 2010-11 80 50.9 95 85.3 
			 2009-10 80 53.6 95 83.1 
			 2008-09 80 53.7 95 86.6 
			 2007-08 80 64.3 95 86.4 
		
	
	Correspondence by e-mail is currently limited. HMRC does not have a target for email responses and does not formally report figures.
	For (b) HMRC does not have a target time for answering telephone calls, but recognises that there are further improvements to be made and is aiming to achieve 90% of call attempts handled by 2014-15.
	In 2011-12, HMRC significantly improved the number of call attempts handled to 74% (compared to 48% in the previous year)
	
		
			  Percentage of call attempts answered 
			 2011-12 74.4 
			 2010-11 48.0 
			 2009-10 75.8 
			 2008-09 57.5 
			 2007-08 70.9

Aviation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to promote the growth of the aviation industry.

Mark Prisk: The Aerospace Business Leaders group, chaired by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Aerospace Growth Partnership group (which I chair) bring Government and business together to take action to stimulate growth in aerospace, boost exports and grow the number of highly skilled jobs available in the UK. This work involves some 80 senior business people from the aerospace sector, supported by eight full-time business secondees, and BIS officials addressing what needs to be done to maintain UK's competitiveness and achieve growth in areas such as research and technology, manufacturing capability, supply chain effectiveness, external engagement and skills.
	As part of this work we announced, in the March Budget statement, £60 million of new funding to create a UK virtual centre for aerodynamics. It will pull together existing research and modelling capabilities into a coherent centre, with a small programme team, that will encourage increased investment to fund a programme of work to ensure the UK is a competitive leader in this field.
	More widely, the Government is supporting business investment in both the product and manufacturing technologies that the Aerospace Growth Partnership has identified as important to best position the UK for future growth. For example, on 21 June, we announced £25 million Government investment in a series of collaborative Research and Technology projects. Led by Rolls-Royce under the heading 'Strategic Affordable Manufacturing in the UK through Leading Environmental Technologies 2' (SAMULET2), the programme will investigate new manufacturing processes aimed at increasing productivity and making the best use of resources. In addition, last autumn, we agreed to invest £32 million in AgustaWestland Yeovil to help introduce the civil AW169 aircraft. We will also be investing over £500 million to support the development of the Airbus A350 XWB and the Bombardier CSeries aircraft.
	Aerospace companies are expected to benefit from other more general support provided by the Department such as the £125 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative and £2.4 billion Regional Growth Fund.
	We are working closely with business to promote attractiveness of the aerospace sector as a career choice to ensure that we have the future skills needed to deliver growth. As part of this work, the aerospace sector is actively participating in the See Inside Manufacturing programme, with a range of activities where aerospace manufacturers are opening their doors to schools and young people. The sector is also active in the Make it in Great Britain (MiiGB) campaign.
	A large number of Ministers will be attending the Farnborough International Air Show in support of UK business and BIS is supporting Futures Day at the show on 13 July at which some 10,000 young people will participate in a wide range of events.

Billing: EU Action

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date he plans to bring forward legislation to implement Directive 2011/7/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011, on combating late payment in commercial transactions; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: It is a long standing commitment of this Government not to gold-plate EU legislation by implementing early and we have confirmed many times our intention to transpose Directive 2011/7/EU on combating late payment by 16 March 2013, thereby providing business and especially smaller businesses, with certainty.
	Over the summer, we will consult on the detail of implementation, as part of the transposition process.

Environment Protection: Industry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to stimulate growth in the low carbon and environmental goods manufacturing and support sectors and their supply chains.

Mark Prisk: Recent steps taken by the Department to stimulate growth in low carbon sectors include encouraging businesses in those sectors to apply for grants and/or loans from the £125 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) and £1 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) round three. Applications have been received from businesses in low carbon sectors for both of those funds and they will be assessed against the criteria that applies to each fund. There is now an additional opportunity to apply for funding from AMSCI with bids being invited until 12 September.
	The Department is also supporting a number of ongoing initiatives to stimulate capacity building and improvement in business competitiveness, such as through the Advanced Manufacturing Research and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapults, funded by the Technology Strategy Board, and the National Renewable Energy Centre, which is developing facilities to demonstrate offshore wind technologies. In addition, skills funds are available to help businesses develop the knowledge and capability of workers, including the £250 million Employer Ownership Pilot and the Growth and Innovation Fund. Working with UK Trade and Investment, we are seeking to attract inward investors in low carbon sectors, such as offshore wind, as well as promote export opportunities.
	On financing, the Government is making rapid progress towards establishment of the UK Green Investment Bank, which will be a key component of the transition to a green economy. UK Green Investment Bank plc has now been formed with funding of £3 billion; it will complement other green policies to help accelerate additional capital in green infrastructure. It is expected to be fully operational in the autumn, following state aid approval. In the interim, the Government's UK Green Investments team (UKGI) has begun making Government investments in green infrastructure.
	Following an open competition, UKGI has committed £80 million to two fund mangers to co invest equity into smaller waste infrastructure projects (project size generally below £30 million). A similar competition for fund managers to invest £100 million in smaller non domestic energy efficiency projects is at the due diligence stage. A pipeline of further projects is under development. All these investments will be made on market terms or meet the requirements for existing state aid exemptions or approvals.

Higher Education: Devolution

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1398W, on higher education: devolution, if he will give further details of the issues raised by his colleagues in devolved institutions on Tier 2 visas.

David Willetts: Ministerial colleagues with responsibility for higher education in the devolved Administrations raise a range of issues including the need to ensure Britain continues to attract overseas students: which is why there is no cap on their numbers.

Trade Promotion

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider implementing the recommendation in the report by the British Chambers of Commerce, Exporting is Good for Britain but Breaking into New Markets Requires Planning to support more businesses to proactively pursue export opportunities by reforming publicly-backed trade promotion schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) report highlighted two key services provided by UKTI. The Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) was revised for 2012/13 and now supports small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) exporters both with grants and value added services tailored to each of the exhibitions in the programme. There are more than 230 of these events with support packages, selected after consultation with industry representatives including member bodies of the BCC.
	The Overseas Market Introduction Service remains a popular service with more companies using it year on year. UKTI's pricing structure and strategy for this service is under constant review. The last full refresh of policy was in April 2011. The Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) charging structure is based on firms paying for services used, irrespective of company size, providing support for all firms but with additional assistance for target groups. To ensure support is targeted, UKTI offers grants and subsidies to SMEs where it can make the most difference, such as encouraging new exporters or exporters to the high growth markets.

Accident and Emergency Departments: North East

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients waited longer than four hours in each accident and emergency ward in (a) Northumbria, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) County Durham (i) in each of the last three years and (ii) between (A) January and March 2012 and (B) January and March 2011.

Simon Burns: This information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Numbers of people waiting over four hours in accident and emergency (A&E) type 1(major) departments 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2011 (1) 2012 (1) 
			 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 2,564 3,691 3,094 654 1442 697 
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 1,353 3,001 7,776 1891 1,584 2,816 
			 The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,673 2,543 1,013. 462 362 868 
			 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust 844 1,137 2,751 407 557 1,283 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 2,839 47080 4,526 1,081 1,554 686 
		
	
	
		
			 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust 979 1245 2,281 630 366 633 
			 (1) January to March Notes: 1. Year to date for 2012-13 is up to and including week ending 17 June 2012. 2. The QMAE Quarterly return was not collected after April 2011, therefore the more recent data has been drawn from the newer A&E Weekly Activity return (WSit AE). Source: Department of Health QMAE quarterly return (2009-10 and 2010-11 data) Department of Health QSitAE weekly return (2011-13 data).

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of general practitioners work (a) full-time and (b) part-time.

Simon Burns: The annual national health service workforce census shows that of the 35,415 general practitioners (GPs) working in the NHS in England at 30 September 2011, 67.6% work full-time and 32.4% work part-time. The data is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) in England by FTE commitment as at 30 September 2011 
			 Headcount 
			  Number Percentage 
			 All GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 35,415 100 
			 Of which:   
		
	
	
		
			 FTE less than or equal to 0.75 9,317 26.3 
			 FTE over 0.75 but less than 1.0 2,172 6.1 
			 FTE greater than or equal to 1.0 23,926 67.6 
			 FTE = Full Time Equivalent. Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September 2011 2. FTE calculations on the GP Census are based on an FTE of 1.0 being 37.5 hours a week. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre (General and Personal Medical Services Statistics)

Heart Diseases

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK have received inpatient treatment for heart disease in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many women in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have received inpatient treatment for heart disease in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table provides a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a diagnosis of heart disease for the years 2006-07 to 2010-11, with the exception of constituency data that can only be provided for 2010-11 onwards. These data are not a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion. Heart disease is a broad term. The table includes all conditions which can be found in the ICD-10 Alphabetical Index under the specific term 'heart disease', as well as other conditions which cannot be directly indexed under this term but are diseases/conditions of the structures of the heart and may also be considered as heart disease.
	
		
			 A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) (1)  with a primary diagnosis (2 ) or diagnosis mention (3)  of heart disease by sex for (i) Jarrow constituency of residence (4) , (ii) South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) of residence (5) ,(iii) North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of residence (5) , and (iv) England for the years 2006-07 to 2010-11 (6) 
			 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Jarrow constituency South Tyneside PCT North East SHA England 
			  Male Female Male Female Male Female Not known Not specified Male Female Not known Not specified 
			 2010-11 709 551 1,468 1,008 18,555 12,901 — — 346,523 229,539 12 7 
			 2009-10 — — 1,398 1,041 18,210 12,590 — — 346,690 228,868 23 11 
			 2008-09 — — 1,436 924 18,552 12,549 3 — 350,576 231,388 15 12 
			 2007-08 — — 1,321 1,026 18,276 12,514 4 1 348,971 230,514 36 19 
			 2006-07 — — 1,281 880 17,310 12,546 — — 342,340 226,468 22 26 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. (3) Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary or secondary diagnosis The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a HES record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. (4) Parliamentary constituency of residence The parliamentary constituency containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another area or region for treatment. (5) SSHA/PCT of residence The strategic health authority (SHA) or primary care trust (PCT) containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. (6) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Liver Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to (a) encourage early detection of liver disease and (b) raise awareness about the effects of hepatitis B and C.

Simon Burns: The Department is currently supporting the following measures to establish effective measures to increase early detection of liver disease and raise awareness about hepatitis:
	NHS Liver Care provides a virtual working platform for national and local healthcare professionals involved in the .planning and delivery of liver services, including the early detection of liver disease; and this year is facilitating liver disease workshops across England.
	In Plymouth, nurses will provide community based assessment of patients with potential liver disease. Also an outreach worker will be testing a model to reduce admissions and readmissions to patients presenting to secondary care with alcohol related problems,
	In Nottingham and Hull, general practitioners (GPs) are receiving additional training in the investigation of patients with abnormal liver function test and early detection of patients with fatty liver disease and obesity.
	In Liverpool, the historical patterns of referrals for suspected liver disease are being reviewed, and a new commissioning approach for liver disease services is being tested which can be used as a template for local implementation.
	The British Liver Trust (BLT) is developing a pre-clinical service based on a preliminary, medical information guided risk assessment provided via a helpline to
	individuals who identify themselves to BLT and who BLT assesses as being at risk of liver disease; and will advice on 'healthy liver' lifestyle choices.
	In Leeds, work is in hand to local protocols to improve the cost effectiveness of patient care for liver disease patients; improve referrals; and enable earlier diagnosis.
	The Pharmaceutical and Hepatology Initiative Project will develop simple key messages for healthcare professionals about liver disease and its management, which will be action orientated and could be delivered in primary care across the country.
	The Hepatitis C Trust is working to improve access increase to hepatitis C testing in partnership with local national health service organisations through community pharmacies and an outreach mobile information and testing service.
	The Royal College of General Practitioners is working to produce an educational resource for GPs and other healthcare professionals in primary care, involving online and face-to-face learning, intended to assist in increasing the detection, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B and C in groups at risk of infection.
	There are dedicated hepatitis C websites for the general public, South Asian communities and healthcare professionals. Information on hepatitis B and C is also available on NHS Choices. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently developing public health guidance on promoting and offering testing for hepatitis B or hepatitis C for those .at increased risk of infection. Draft guidance was published for consultation on 13 June 2012, which includes recommendations on awareness-raising amongst the general population; health professionals and others providing services for those at increased risk of infection; and those at increased risk, and testing in a range of settings.

Malnutrition

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients were screened for malnutrition on admission to hospital in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what training and support the NHS provides to healthcare professionals to identify malnutrition;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of malnutrition in (a) hospitals and (b) care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Local national health service organisations are responsible for nutritional screening. We do not centrally collect information on the numbers of patients screened for malnutrition in the format requested. The NHS Information Centre collects partial data within the Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) programme. In the 2009-11 PEAT programmes, information was collected on the percentage of patients who were screened for the purpose of their nutritional care. This information is in the following table:
	
		
			 What percentage of patients were screened for the purpose of their nutritional care within 24 hours of their admission 
			  Percentage of patients 
			 Number of sites 0-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 
			 2009 (1,492 in total) 118 36 62 104 872 
			 2010 (1,492 in total) 149 33 96 126 788 
			 2011 (1,472 in total) 70 33 40 130 899 
			 Notes: 1. PEAT data are collected at hospital site level for all hospitals with more than 10 in-patient beds. 2. In 2010 and 2011, it was a requirement that the data provided were based on a recent audit. 3. In mental health services, the figures relate to the percentage of patients weighed within 72 hours of admission. 4. The number of hospital sites undertaking PEAT inspections varies from year to year due to reconfigurations and other changes in service delivery. 
		
	
	The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies for the professions concerned. Through their role as the custodians of standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care is delivered by health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice. Providers of care have a duty to ensure that staff have appropriate training and are competent in identifying those at risk from malnutrition.
	There is a variety of best practice guidance and resources in place to support health care professionals in meeting people's nutritional needs. These include the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on malnutrition in which all in-patients should be weighed, measured and have their body mass index calculated on admission.
	The Essence of Care benchmarking system covers all aspects of fundamental care including “food and drink” covering screening and assessment on initial contact, and the high impact actions which include an action about keeping patients nourished.
	At the heart of the health care reforms is a focus on improving the quality and outcomes of health care for patients. One of the NHS Commissioning Board's roles will be to provide national leadership, in driving up the quality of care. The board, along with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), will have a legal duty to secure continuous improvement in the quality of services and outcomes. In addition, CCGs will work with local authorities to develop a comprehensive analysis of health and social care needs in each local area and to translate these into action through the joint health and well-being strategy, which will drive local commissioning of health care, social care and public health.
	All providers of regulated activities must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet 16 registration requirements governing essential levels of safety and quality. The requirements include a requirement to meet the nutritional needs of patients and people who use services. The CQC has a wide range of independent enforcement powers that it can use if it considers providers are not meeting the requirements.
	During 2011, the CQC conducted a focussed inspection programme looking at dignity and nutrition, inspecting 100 national health service wards providing care for older people. Building on this programme, the CQC plans to inspect a further 50 hospitals and 500 care homes in 2012.

Malnutrition

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality of data (a) collected and (b) published by the NHS on the incidence of malnutrition; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: In May 2012, the Government published its information strategy for health and social care in England, ‘The power of information’. A copy has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	http://informationstrategy.dh.gov.uk
	The strategy sets a clear direction, ambition and next steps to transform the way information is used to improve health, care and outcomes—with greater transparency, access for people to their own health and care records and a focus on better recording and sharing of core data by health and care professionals each playing a role in driving improved data quality.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre also has a pivotal role in improving the quality of health and social care data by assuring the quality of nationally collected data—providing an assurance function, helping local organisations achieve their responsibilities in ensuring data quality, by:
	working with both local and national organisations to develop a framework which outlines standards, assures and improves the quality of data; and
	producing their first national report during summer 2012. This will summarise the Information Centre's current data quality assurance activities and how they are developing their framework for wider roll out during 2013 and 2014.
	The Information Centre will be required to collect or analyse information as directed by the Secretary of State or the NHS Commissioning Board.
	The Information Centre will also be required to collect or analyse information as requested by Monitor, Care Quality Commission, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence or any other body specified in regulations, subject to the provisions of the Act or in regulations made under it.
	Data quality has a direct impact on health and social care as patient care and safety depends on good quality data. Poor quality data can lead to flawed clinical, administrative and planning decisions, while improving data quality improves patient care and value for money.

Retinoblastoma

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of retinoblastoma.

Paul Burstow: Since 2005, ‘Improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer’, published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), has supported trusts in planning, commissioning and organising services for children and young people with cancer, including retinoblastoma. One of its recommendations is the establishment of support for professionals in primary and secondary care in the recognition and referral of suspected cancer in children and young people.
	This guidance is complemented by ‘Referral for suspected cancer’, also published by the NICE in 2005, which sets out best practice advice on referral for suspected cancer in adults and children. The guidance covers a wide range of cancers, including retinoblastoma, and identifies key symptoms and evidence to consider when referring a patient for suspected cancer.
	These sets of guidance are continuing to support the commissioning of quality services for children and young people with cancer in the reformed national health service.
	During 2011, departmental officials met two charities for children and young people cancer, with the aim of identifying some of the barriers to early diagnosis and to discuss potential solutions. This work has been fed into the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative and will inform future activity in this area.